Dec 23, 2012 | DIY
So it’s only two days before Christmas and time is running out. You want to give something thoughtful and handmade…but just can’t deal with cookies or fudge. How about Holiday Chocolate Bark? It’s super-easy (just melt chocolate chips and add mix-ins!), takes about 20 minutes to set in the fridge, and is totally customizable to your (or the recipient’s!) tastes. 
Here are 4 delicious and easy recipes I whipped up in a flash, all built upon a single basic recipe.
Basic Recipe:
1. Cover a baking sheet with foil or wax paper (a spray of cooking spray will help hold the paper or foil down).
2. Add 1/2 T canola oil to a 12 oz bag of chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. This is your Base.
3. Microwave on high about 1 minute; stir. Microwave for 30-second increments a few more times, stirring in-between, until the chocolate chips are completely melted. (Be careful not to over-heat! Your chocolate will seize up – and the remedy for this is to add more oil and gently heat in 10-second increments until you can get the chocolate liquidy again.)
4. Working quickly, stir in the Flavoring (if the recipe calls for it), then stir in the Mix-Ins.
5. Pour out onto the baking sheet and use a spatula to spread out. Sprinkle with Topping if the recipe calls for it.
6. Place the sheet in the fridge about 20 minutes until firm.
7. Break into small pieces with your hands. Enjoy!
So here’s how to customize: just choose your recipe and follow the how-to above. Easy as…pie bark!
{ Coconut Pineapple Macadamia Nut Bark }
A creamy taste of the tropics. White chocolate has a pretty distinct taste, so to cover it up and make it taste more “tropical” I added some coconut flavoring.
Base: 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips + 1/2 T canola oil (I needed a little more since my white chocolate seized)
Flavoring: 1 tsp coconut flavoring (optional)
Mix-ins: 1 cup chopped dried pineapple rings, 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Topping: 1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut
{ Double Peppermint Bark }
The perfect holiday recipe. Use the same brand of chocolate for the Base and the Top Layer for maximal adhesion between the two (I’ve used two different brands before, and had the Top Layer separate from the Base when I cracked it into pieces).
Base: 12 oz bag of milk chocolate chips + 1/2 T canola oil
Flavoring: 1 tsp peppermint flavoring
*Top Layer: 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips + 1/2 T canola oil
Mix-ins: crushed candy canes
Topping: crushed candy canes
*For this recipe, spread out the bottom flavored base layer first onto the pan, and cool in the fridge. When hard, then melt the top layer chips, add the mix-ins, and spread on top of the Base layer. Sprinkle with the topping, then place in the fridge again to harden completely.
{ Salted Caramel Cashew Bark }
This is the at-home DIY version of my FAVORITE Godiva chocolate bark…which is a whopping $12 a bar at the store.
Base: 12 oz bag of milk chocolate chips + 1/2 T canola oil
Mix-ins: 12 chopped soft caramels (Werther’s makes a soft version of their famous caramels which works really well in this recipe…and Lil Tot ate one just before I took the above photo), 1/2 cup chopped raw cashew nuts
Topping: 1.5 tsp chunky Maldon sea salt
{ Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Bark }
A grown-up version of chocolate-covered cherries, packed with antioxidants.
Base: 12 oz bag of dark chocolate chips + 1/2 T canola oil
Mix-ins: 1 cup whole dried sweetened cherries, 1/2 cup chopped slivered blanched almonds
Topping: fine salt sprinkles (optional)
For gift-giving, drop broken bark bits into colored cellophane bags, or package in a beautiful gift box like this above from a gift box kit by Martha Stewart (available at Michael’s in the Scrapbooking section). And don’t forget to enjoy some chocolate bark yourself!!
Happy Holidays to one and all~
Carly
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Dec 21, 2012 | Life
image source (and make that cake with the tutorial here!)
Yup, today I am another year older (and the world didn’t end, thank goodness)…so just keeping it low-key and celebrating with the family. 🙂 And how cute is this felt cake (above)? Getting inspired to dig into my felt-bin just looking at this sweet creation…
xo
Carly
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Dec 13, 2012 | Life, Media
Though this article went live awhile ago on the New York Times, I just recently came across it. It’s an article that is part review of the disappointing “Craft Wars” TV reality show with Tori Spelling; part indictment of the crafting movement in modern times.
Is the term “crafting” now synonymous with hobbyists making piles of junk, as the author of this article maintains? Does DIY only have value as an antidote to mass-manufacturing? Is Etsy a “False Feminist Fantasy,” as another author accuses in an article [from 2009] quoted in the above? And just how awful was Craft Wars?
What do you guys think?
Stay crafty!
Carly
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Dec 11, 2012 | Fashion, Life
There is this dress that I can’t wait for ModCloth to get back in stock…that I see in my dreams…
It’s a Wonderful Life Dress by Bernie Dexter, $155.99
Bernie Dexter has the most amazing photo-print dresses on ModCloth, but all around the same price point. Somewhat of an investment.
….Alternatively, one could bypass the wait (and the cost) by ordering something like this fabric from Spoonflower (or getting your own favorite snowy cottage scene printed with them!). I’d advise getting your print from them in cotton sateen, maybe about 2 yards (depending on your waist size and the way the pattern lies on the fabric). This is also another lovely alternative photo print on Spoonflower.
Then just choose a coordinating fabric for the top of your dress from the fabric store, do a rub-off of a dress you own (or try using a retro-style pattern, like this one from BurdaStyle)…and there’s a perfectly beautiful photo-print retro dress…for a whole lot less.;-)
Stay chic~
Carly
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Dec 10, 2012 | Fashion
photo source
It’s the age-old question, even more relevant today when so many of us are engaged in multiple, simultaneous projects.
I worked a 54-hour week last week at work. We had a shoot at the studio, which went into a second day. Many other things also happened in my life right around the same time (kind of like how November 5, 1955 was the date the whole universe hinged on in the Back to the Future movies…Dec 6-9 for me was that same critical hinge-worthy time period). Last week was the most physically and mentally grueling week for me ever. (You may have noticed I posted one photo on my blog of me smiling on the set…and then nothing for 3 days.)
When I’m under a lot of stress in one part of my life…I have to pull back on the other parts. Put the blog posting on hold, forget about that face mask, pile stuff into my corner of the office and leave it there. Stop answering email for a couple days. Stop paying attention to what I’m eating and just eat when I’m hungry. Put the workout routine on hold. It’s as if I just don’t have the head-space to deal with anything else except what’s going on in front of me, stressing me out. And many things fall by the wayside during that time.
If you’re anything like me, this might be how you deal as well. Here are some tips for keeping up with the things that do matter to you (even if they seem like added stresses whilst in the thick of things):
photo source
1. Make a List
Figure out everything that’s still on your plate besides what’s stressing you out, and designate it either:
- Keep Up With It
- Put It On Hold
- Drop It Completely
Seeing your task list written out like that, and giving yourself permission to do away with to-do’s (or even just delay them), can add some calm in a world of chaos.
photo source
2. Pull Back on Your Commitments
For your “Keep Up With It” tasks, further break them down into tasks that you can keep up with in only a minimalistic sense. If you have to be making daily dinners for your family, can you just heat up TV dinners or work with pre-cooked ingredients or dishes that take only 5 minutes? Can you plan out your week of dinners to make it easier? Can you post a single photo on your blog of a “wishlist item” instead of an entire post? Now is the time to pare down and to become a total slacker. What can you get away with by doing the bare minimum?
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3. Talk or Hang Out With Someone Not Involved in What’s Stressing You Out
Your friends and family can often be a great source of help, even by just being around someone who isn’t caught up in the madness. Even if you’re just dishing about Kate Middleton’s latest outfit or your friend’s last horrible date, chatter that isn’t focused on your issue can help free up your mind from its mental hamster wheel. Even just 10 minutes can make a huge difference. Laugh, cry, shout, give advice…get caught up with what’s going on in someone else’s life for a few moments, to take a step back from what’s going on in your.
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4. FORCE Yourself to Make Some Me Time
It doesn’t have to be a huge amount; just whatever time you can afford to spend on yourself. A nice bath. An episode of America’s Funniest Home Videos. A chapter in a good book. A face mask (which I didn’t even have the presence of mind to do last week *ahem*) Even 10 minutes of exercise – a quick stroll a couple times around the block – is actually doable and will do wonders to improve your mood.
image source
5. And, if nothing else, a deep, deep breath and some EFT
I’ve been using a 7-breaths technique to gain calm (breathe in for a 7-count, breathe out for a 7-count, seven times). Repeat as necessary. However, I’ve recently discovered EFT and have been absolutely amazed at the results. It works by stimulating nerve receptors in the skin by tapping them (the same as with acupuncture), thus creating an interrupt in the body’s creation of negative emotions (which are, in actuality, just chemicals released by the brain and other organs, flooding the body and affecting heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, etc. negatively). Just try it and see. Even try it with a completely negative attitude, convinced it won’t do a darn thing for you. You may be surprised. (Read more about EFT here and here if you’re interested.)
Edited (12/31) to Add:
6. Ask for Help from the Important People in Your Life
Sometimes it’s really, really hard to admit to your friends/parents/significant others/kids that you really can’t do it all. Asking for help sometimes feels akin to admitting that your not superwoman/superman…but sometimes you just have to ask or else go utterly crazy. And the people who really care about you, whether they are friends or family or co-workers or the person you’re dating, will probably be okay with doing something to help you out. Hub can make dinner one night – it’s not going to kill him. Maybe instead of you sending a holiday card to your parents’ friend maybe they could just write a greeting from you into their yearly card. Maybe a friend could drop your Goodwill donation off instead of you doing it. Etcetera. It definitely takes a village, and if you’re at your wits’ end don’t be ashamed in asking for little favors from the people in your life! (But conversely, be prepared to return the favors at another time. 😉
How do you cope with major stress in your life? I’d love to hear your tricks for staying sane amidst utter insanity!
Stay chic~
Carly
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